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Information &- Suggestions 

ON 

SCHOOL GARDENS 
CHILDREN'S HOME GARDENS 
JUNIOR. CLEAN-UP WORK 

AND 

HOW TO MAKE YOUR 
HOME AND COMMUNITY 
A MORE DESIRABLE PLACE 
IN WHICH TO LIVE 


— Containing a New 
“Friendship Village” 
Story by Miss Zona Qale 


Edited by R. L. TEMPLIN, Published 
by The Children's Flower Mission 
Cleveland, Ohio 




Copyrighted 1915, by The Children’s Flower Mission, Cleveland, Ohio. 


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Of special importance 
is the announcement 

a 

that we have added to 
our extensive lines a 
choice selection of 

KOSES, SHRUBS 
VINES AND BULBS 

and it is needless to 
say that orders includ¬ 
ing these goods will 
have our usual careful 
attention 


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School Gardens in Porto Rico Island. 


Progress of the School Garden Movement 

Childrens school and home gardening is no longer considered a fad, 
or experiment, but is now recognized by leading educators as a very 
important factor in the health and education of the child. The year 1914 
has seen the greatest development in the work throughout the United 
States and Canada, with many successful gardens in Porto Rico and the 
Philippines. 

In our work of supplying reliable seeds at nominal prices, we are 
pleased to report the most gratifying increase in demand, as we have 
received orders from 34,140 schools, requiring almost five million packets 
of seed. It would be impossible to express the pleasure derived from the 
thought that fully a half million children, in every corner of our country 
were learning to cultivate beautiful flowers and choice vegetables from 
the seed we supplied. 

We receive each year a great many requests from school superin¬ 
tendents and teachers, Womens Clubs, and other civic organizations, 
asking for general information along the line of school gardens, clean-up 
campaigns, etc. To this end we each year issue our “School Garden” 
Manual, in which we endeavor to give detailed information covering the 
various lines of work, that naturally result in general civic improvement. 

In this issue we are giving detailed reports from a few cities and 
towns that have been eminently successful in the work. *These reports 
contain much information that will be found helpful to those not having 
had experience. Instructions for planning and planting the school and 
home gardens, with suggestions for holding exhibitions will, we trust, be 
found helpful. 

We wish to here emphasize the fact that we are exclusive school 
garden specialists, devoting our entire time and energy to collecting and 
distributing seeds of the highest quality. Our Mr. Templin, who is a 
practical seedsman of almost forty years experience, spends much of his 
time in visiting the seed growers and inspecting the growing crops. Last 
season he spent three months in visiting the seed growers in Europe, and 
while the war interfered somewhat with his plans, he nevertheless secured 
much valuable information’. Don’t be deceived by those who would have 
you believe that seeds at a penny a packet must of necessity be of inferior 
quality. * The most enthusiastic patrons we have are those who have used 
our seeds the longest. Our motto is, and always will be, 

QUALITY, PRICE, SERVICE. 


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IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIH SCHOOL GARDENS 4 IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIHIIIIIIIIIIHIII 

Brief Pointers for the Busy Teacher 

The following brief instructions are for the busy superintendent and 
teacher, who would like a general idea of how to introduce school garden¬ 
ing, but have little time to read up on the subject. 

A good plan is to select some teacher, or other person who is 
interested, and enthusiastic on gardening, and who has some general 
knowledge of the work; there is usually a person having these qualifica¬ 
tions in almost every school. Turn the work over to her and success is 
assured. 

We will supply a booklet like this for every room in your schools, 
and a four page illustrated order blank for each pupil. 

Have each teacher tell the children about the school garden move¬ 
ment, how it is sweeping over the country, its importance as an educa¬ 
tional factor, etc. and ascertain how many would like to order seeds at 
a penny a packet. 

Make out a requisition on the enclosed post-card, for as many order 
blanks and booklets as will be required to supply your school, but please 
do not order more than you believe you can distribute where they will 
be used. 

Instruct the children to take the order blanks home, and have their 
parents help to make the selection of varieties, and to return the orders 
to you, together with the money to pay for same. Any rules that boards 
of education may have adopted prohibiting teachers from selling articles 
to the children does not apply on seeds, as almost every state has passed 
laws requiring the teaching of agriculture, and by asking the parents to 
help select the seeds places all responsibility on them, and not on the 
teacher. See page 26. 

Send all orders to us, being careful to keep all orders for each room 
separate. Seeds will be delivered to you, all delivery charges prepaid, 
each individual order in large sealed envelope, with the original order 
blank attached, and printed cultural instructions included. 

Each teacher may select free seeds to the value of ten per cent, as 
compensation for her trouble in collecting and distributing the orders. 
Make your own selection of seeds, using the colored order blank. 

If you have no room for a garden in connection with your school, 
encourage the children to plant little gardens at home. Educators gener¬ 
ally consider the home gardens the most practical, and more than seventy- 
five percent of all the seeds we supply are used in home gardens. 

If you want to create enthusiasm, and make a great success the first 
season, tell the children you will hold an exhibition in September, in the 
school room, or some appropriate place, and award prizes for the best 
exhibits. See exhibitions on pages T4 to 16 in this booklet for further 
information. 

Ask Women’s Clubs, Civic Improvement Leagues, Public Librarians, 
and County Fair officials to help you. We find almost invariably where 
the most successful work of this kind is accomplished, that one or more 
of these orgnizations are back of it. 

Read the little story by Miss Zona Gale on page 38, to the 
children. It will help to create enthusiasm. 

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Woodlawn School Gardens, Portland, Oregon. 


The School Garden 

First and of the most importance will be to secure a suitable lot. 
This is often difficult, there being no available lots near the school 
building. If there is room in the school yard it will be the most satis¬ 
factory place. 

If possible the land should be plowed in November, just before the 
ground freezes. The winter’s action, freezing and thawing tends to 
pulverize heavy, cloddy soil, so that a second plowing in the spring will 
leave it in fine condition for planting.. 

After the spring plowing, harrow thoroughly, and follow with the 
planker, or clod crusher, which will thoroughly pulverize the lumps, 
leaving the. surf ace level and smooth, ready for laying out the beds. 

It is of the utmost importance that the soil be in the right condition 
when plowed and harrowed. Do not undertake to prepare it too early, 
or when too wet. Better to wait two or three weeks, rather than to 
begin before the soil is sufficiently dry. Soil that is worked when too 
wet will be cloddy and hard throughout the season. 

Always bear in mind that fine mellow soil will retain the moisture, 
and aid germination, while cloddy soil that has been worked when too 
wet will soon dry out, and the seed perish. 

The best time to fertilize the land will be in autumn, before the 
November plowing. Fresh stable manure can be applied at this time in 
almost any quantity, and plowed under. This is especially desirable if 
the land is inclined to be heavy as it will tend to make it loose and pliable. 
It is not advisable to use much fresh manure in the spring. Commercial 
fertilizers should be used at this time, applying it just before the harrow 
is used. 

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Planning the School Garden 

We can give no special instructions for planning the gardenias this 
will depend on local conditions. Each school will have to plan its own 
garden, first determining how manv pupils will want garden plots, and 
dividing the garden accordingly. 

In some cities where the available ground is limited, they only pro¬ 
vide individual plots for one grade. In St. Paul, Minn., they confine the 
work to the fourth grade, so that each pupil in the school will have one 
year of practical gardening. 

Do not devote all the space to individual garden plots. Always 
reserve a bed five or six feet wide, along one side of the garden, where 
all kinds of biennials, and perennials can be placed, where the semi-annual 
plowing will not disturb them. 

Space should also be provided for experimental, or observation pur¬ 
poses, where the more rare varieties of flowers and vegetables may be 
tested under the supervision of the teacher. This should be made the 
most interesting and instructive feature of the entire garden. 

There are also many kinds of vines, and larger growing plants that 
are not suitable for planting in the small individual plots. These should 
be planted along the fence, or border bed. 

There are three methods of planning the school garden, (a) 
Individual plots where each child has his own plot, (b) Dual plots 
where two pupils work on the same plot, and (c) Community gardens, 
where there are no divisions, the garden being planted as one big area, 
each variety by itself, and all pupils having a general interest in the 
entire garden. 

Each method has its advantages, but probably a combination of the 
three will be the most satisfactory. The individual plots have the ad¬ 
vantage of developing individuality; this however is best accomplished 
in the home garden. The dual or two pupil plan will eliminate half of 
the walks, and tend to develop a competitive spirit. 



Planting the School Gardens at Forestdale, R. I. 


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Size and Form of Individual Plots 

The rectangular form of individual plots will be found to be the 
most satisfactory, and for convenience in working they should not exceed 
four or five feet in width, thus allowing all weeding and cultivation to 
be done from the walks without tramping on the beds. 

For the smaller children 4 by 6 or 4 by 8 ft. will be a convenient 
size, and if space will permit, the larger pupils should have plots 5 by 15 
or larger. 

1 he beds should be laid out with the length running east and west, 
and the rows planted across the beds, (usually a foot apart for most 
varieties,) thereby allowing the sun to shine freely between the rows. 

Y\ hen the individual plots can be made larger, they may be made 
square, with rows running north and south, a foot apart, when they may 
be cultivated with a hand cultivator. 

Laying Out the Beds and Walks 

When you have decided on the plans, number of individual plots 
etc., proceed to lay out the beds and walks. This will be a very instruc¬ 
tive and interesting part of the work, in which the children will take 
great delight. It will, however, be best if only a few of the older pupils 
have this part of the work to do, the teachers applying the mathematical 
lessons to the smaller pupils as the work proceeds. 

A tape measure, strong garden line, or heavy twine, several large 
stakes 15 to 18 inches long for locating the corners and other prominent 
points, and smaller stakes 6 or 8 inches long for the corners of each bed 
or plot, also mallet or heavy hammer for driving stakes will be required. 

Now proceed to lay out the beds and walks according to the plans 
which have been previously drawn on paper. All main walks should be 
3 to 4 feet in width,-and the smaller walks dividing the beds should not 
be less than two feet wide, as many varieties of plants will encroach on 
the walks as they develop. 

When all beds and walks have been outlined, remove with shovels 
about two inches of the surface soil from the walks, scattering it evenly 
over the beds. Then with iron garden rakes carefully pulverize and rake 
the beds, pulling all clods back into the walks. 

It is not desirable to make deep walks, unless the land is low and wet. 
as the deep walks tend to carry the water off during rains, which should 
be allowed to soak into the soil; all that is necessary is just sufficient depth 
to outline the beds. 

The general appearance of the garden will be much improved if a 
large central community bed is arranged in the center, where an orna¬ 
mental floral design bed can be worked out, having a Castor JBean or other 
large central piece, grading down to the low growing border plants near 
the walks. The importance of a central bed of this kind is to teach 
proper arranging of the various kinds for pleasing effect. 

Do not permit the pupils to plant hardy perennials in the individual 
plots, unless it is intended to remove them to the border in autumn 
before the garden is plowed. 

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Castor Bean, Pumpkin and Beet grown by Alfa Bailey, 13, Freeland, Mich. 

The Home Garden 

The School Garden, properly speaking, is a garden in connection with 
the public school. In many instances where land for a school garden is 
not available, the teacher will encourage home gardens, and in a measure 
superintend them. A combination of the two is the ideal plan, as the 
child carries into effect in the home garden the ideas gathered in the 
school garden. 

Because there is no available land for a school garden is no reason 
why teachers should not oe interested in the work, as a majority of 
educators consider the home garden the most practical and satisfactory. 

There are many reasons why the home garden should be encouraged. 
Mr. Veron Landis of Cincinnati, O., a well known authority on the 
subject, has expressed our ideas so nicely that I am taking the liberty 
of quoting in part from him. 

“The home garden gives every child an opportunity to have a garden. 
In many school gardens the limited space only permits a small percentage 
of pupils to enjoy the privilege and advantage of a garden.” 

“The home garden develops individuality, as the child may choose 
the plants he wishes to grow, and how he will arrange them. He enjoys 
in every respect a freedom which is not possible in the school garden. 

“The home garden because it allows more freedom, tends to make 
the interest in gardening greater, and more permanent. He may experi¬ 
ment, and study the nature and requirements of each variety as he could 
not do in the school garden. 

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The home garden develops in the child a greater sense of responsi¬ 
bility, as the success of his garden depends almost entirely on his own 
resources.” 

“The home garden is an agency to keep the child at home, when 
he would otherwise be on the streets, where too often the influence is de¬ 
moralizing. It produces a greater bond of sympathy between the parent 
and child, due to the fact that the parent takes an interest in the work, and 
talks with the child about it.” 

“The home garden brings the teacher in closer touch with the parent, 
as it gives her an excellent excuse to visit the homes of her pupils; an 
important factor in the success of any' teacher.” 

“The home garden will be one of the greatest factors in making our 
cities and villages more beautiful and desirable places to live in, as un¬ 
sightly places, rubbish piles, etc., will be replaced by growing plants and 
flowers.” 

“The home garden develops the sense of ownership, and respect for 
private property as it cannot be developed in the school garden, as the 
child feels that he is the real owner, and not a tenant as must be the 
case when he has an individual plot in the school garden.” 

“The home garden will very materially help to reduce the ‘high cost 
of living’ by providing fresh tender vegetables for the table during the 
greater part of the year, to an extent that will be a surprise to those 
who will keep an account of the value of all vegetables used.” 

Planning for the Home Garden 

The following are a few of the most important points to consider 
in planning for the home garden. 

First, select a location where there will be full sunshine at least the 
greater part of the day, as most flowers and vegetables will not succeed 
in the shade. 

Keep as far as possible away from any large trees, as their roots 
will absorb the moisture and fertility from the soil. Do not make flower 
beds where drippings from the roof will fall on them. 

It is very important that the soil be dug deeply and pulverized thor¬ 
oughly. The parents or older members of the family should look after 
this part of the work, because if the soil is not spaded and well pulverized 
to the depth of a foot or more failure will almost certainly follow. 

Clean-up day is coming so see what you can do 

To brighten things around you, and make ’em look like new; 

Clean up your mind of worry, and doubt and every fear, 

And brighten up your future with a lot of hope and cheer. 

Paint up a mental picture of what you want to do, 

And frame it with self-confidence, and hang it in plain view; 

Then get your broom and shovel, or the rake or an old hoe 

And help our San Francisco to brace up and make a show. 

We’ve got to pull together, everybody, side by side, 

Or when 1915 gets here, we’ll want to go and hide; 

Let’s put our streets in order, with their names out in plain sight 

And work till things are looking spic and span and new and bright. 

Elizabeth A. Wilbur. 


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Normal School Gardens, Victoria, British Columbia. 


Planting the Vegetable Garden 

Our limited space will only permit very brief instructions on planting 
the various kinds of seeds. As a general rule in planting the school 
garden plots, the rows for vegetable seed should be a foot apart, and 
the seeds covered from a quarter to one inch deep according to the size 
of the seed. 

After the seeds are covered, if the soil is not too moist, it should 
be pressed down firmly with the hand, or patted down with the back of 
a shovel. Some instructors recommend tramping on the row, which is 
all right provided the soil is comparatively dry, otherwise it will leave 
the soil too solid, and retard germination. 

The following vegetables should be planted as early as the soil is in 
condition, viz; Beets, Carrots, Early Cabbage, Lettuce, Onions, Parsnips, 
Peas, Radishes and Spinach. The following will not germinate until the 
soil is warmer, and should not be planted until fruit trees are in full 
bloom, namely, Beans, Cucumbers, Corn, Melons, Pumpkins, Squash, 
Tomato. 

Early Cabbage, Cauliflower, Egg Plant, Peppers, and Early Toma¬ 
toes should be started in shallow boxes in the house, in March or April, 
and later transplanted to the garden. Endive, Winter Radishes, and 
Turnips should not be planted before July, if wanted for fall and winter 
use, as they are of much better quality than from earlier planting. 

Starting Flower Seed in the House 

A number of varieties of flowers, including Asters, Carnations, 
Forget-me-nots, Pansies, Phlox, Snap Diagons, Stocks, and Verbenas, 
should be started in the house in shallow boxes, in order to hasten their 
flowering season. It is a good plan to cover the box after planting with 
one or two large panes of glass, to prevent the dry atmosphere of the room 

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from absorbing the moisture from the soil, removing the glass when the 
plants are well advanced. 

Planting Seed of Hardy Annuals 

Hardy annuals are those varieties that germinate and grow more 
freely if planted quite early, as soon as the soil can be prepared, while 
it is yet moist and cool. In this class are included Alyssum, Baby’s 
Breath, Bachelor’s Button, California Poppy,* Calliopsis, China Pinks, 
Larkspur, Love-in-a-mist, Mignonette,* Petunias, Phlox, Poppy,* Sweet 
Peas,* Sweet William, Verbena. Those varieties marked with a star (*) 
should be planted where they are to bloom, as they cannot be successfully 
transplanted. 

Planting Flower Seed in Frames 

Many varieties will not germinate while the soil is cold and wet, but 
will perish if planted too early. And if left until later the hot sun and 
wind are liable to dry out the soil and the seed perish from lack of 
moisture. Most of the varieties not included in the hardy annual class 
will come under this class which requires more care in order to succeed. 

If the soil in the school garden is fine and mellow, and care is 
exercised in planting and watering, reasonably good success may be 
expected from planting direct in the garden plots, but as a rule it will 
be safer to plant in a frame, where they can be covered, and receive 
more careful attention. The frame may be of any size to suit the re¬ 
quirements, and should be made of inch boards about eight inches wide. 
If some old window sash is available, make the frame in size to suit the 
sash, otherwise the frame may be covered with light muslin, which will 
protect the tender plants from cold winds and rain, and at the same time 
allow sufficient light for the young plants. 

The soil should be dug and pulverized to the depth of a foot or more, 
and the surface made smooth and level. Mark out the rows 3 or 4 inches 
apart with the edge of a plastering lath, or thin board, drawing it back 
and forth until the right depth is attained. Sow the seed regularly in 
the rows, with the thumb and first finger, marking each row with a label 
or stake. This may be done by using the numbers as they appear on 
our order blanks. Cover only about a quarter inch deep, and the finer 
seed, like petunia, do not cover but press down with the open hand. 
After all are planted it is a good plan to cover the surface with a piece 
of old carpet, or several thicknesses of paper to hold the moisture, re¬ 
moving same as soon as the plants begin to appear, which will be in four 
or five days. 

Transplanting 

As soon as the plants are 3 or 4 inches high, select a cloudy day 
after a soaking rain, and transplant all plants from the frame to the 
garden where they are to bloom. Most varieties are very easily trans¬ 
planted, if ordinary care is used in lifting the plants so as not to destroy 
the roots. They should be planted a little deeper than they grew in the 
frame, and the soil pressed down firmly around each plant. If the sun 
is shining the plants may be shaded for a day or two. You will usuabv 
have more plants from each penny packet of seed than you can use; 
which should be distributed among those who are less fortunate. 

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Vacant Lot Junior Garden Clubs 

There are many vacant lots in every city that are permitted to accum¬ 
ulate rubbish and weeds, thereby becoming eye-sores to the community. 
These vacant lots could almost always be secured for gardening purposes 
if the owner is approached in the right manner. 

Organize a Junior Vacant Lot Club of a half dozen or more boys 
and girls, appoint a committee, or better still, go in a body to the owners 
of vacant lots in your neighborhood, fully explaining your plan, and ask 
for the use of the lot. 

When a suitable lot has been secured, march in a body to your 
Mayor’s office, again explaining the purpose of your visit, and respect¬ 
fully ask him if he will not have your little farm plowed and prepared for 
you at the expense of the city. If he refuses tell him that in Cleveland, 
Ohio the city administration provides a special officer whose duty is to 
look after just this kind of work, and that many other cities are doing 
similar work for the school children. 

When your lot has been prepared, divide it into plots of equal size, 
according to the number of members in your Club. For example suppose 
you have eight boys and girls in your club. An ordinary lot is about 40 
by 120 feet. This will give each member a plot 20 by 30 feet in size. 
A well kept garden of this size will produce sufficient vegetables for 
an ordinary family. 



Before and After. Greensburg, Pa. (Courtesy of M. R. Keenan.) 


Community Garden Clubs 

These will differ from Junior Garden Clubs in soliciting families in 
congested districts, who do not have room for a garden at home, to join 
the club and permitting any or all members of such families to assist 
in cultivating and caring for their respective plots. Woman’s Clubs and 
Civic Improvement Leagues can render practical and helpful service by 
organizing and supervising gardening clubs of this kind. Mayors and 
other city officials will generally assist in this kind of work by plowing 
and fertilizing the lots at the expense of the city, if the matter is presented 
to them by citizens of good standing and influence. 

Teachers should read the interesting and instructive little story 
on page 38 to the children. 

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School Exhibit, Boyne City, Mich. (Courtesy of L. A. Buller, Supt.) 


Annual Shows, Fairs and Exhibitions 

We say, by all means hold an exhibition if possible. But don’t wait 
until you have fine gardens before deciding to have a show. The time 
to announce the exhibition is in early spring when you are planning the 
garden work, as you will find it one of the greatest incentives to the 
children to begin gardening if they are told that there will be an op¬ 
portunity to compete for prizes. The exhibition may be held in the 
school room or auditorium or in any available public building. 

In many cities and towns the annual Flower Show is- one of the most 
important events of the year. We could fill pages with enthusiastic 
reports of shows that we receive in letters and newspaper clippings. 

Encourage the children to enter their products at the county fair. 
Many children report receiving prizes at such fairs. Several schools 
transferred their entire exhibit to the county fair, taking many prizes. 
Parents are proud of children who can do things worth while. They will 
be your friends if you give their children the needed help and encour¬ 
agement. 

Mr. P. L. Johnsrud, agricultural director of Virginia, Minn., reports 
a very successful exhibit held in the school gymnasium on September 
11th and 12th, in connection with Farmers’ Day. They plan to exhibit 
their work at the county fair next year. 

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Philadelphia reports that more than fifty schools held flower exhi¬ 
bitions on September 18th at which over 2500 pupils exhibited products. 

Hastings, Minn., reports that though they held no local exhibits the 
pupils drew $90.00 at state and county fairs. 

Miss Mary Shotwell, supervisor of rural schools at Oxford, N. C., 
writes that the Junior Civic League holds a fair each year, and many of 
her pupils win prizes. 

At New Madison, Ohio, a school fair was held at the school grounds 
. and more than 150 special prizes were awarded, with two Washington 
trips as sweepstakes. Six hundred visitors registered during the day, 
and plans are now on foot for a 1915 fair. 

The Board of Education at Geneva, Ohio, offered $50.00 for the best 
school display, the prize money to be used in equipment for the winning 
school. Last year a Victrola was purchased. 

J. S. Westhafer of Buffalo, Oklahoma, writes that they held a flower 
and vegetable fair that aroused a great deal of enthusiasm. Their prize 
list shows 22 special prizes offered by merchants and individuals. 

In McLean County, N. D., the teachers throughout the county are 
encouraged to hold exhibitions, the County Commissioners appropriating 
money for the purpose. A county exhibit was held at Washburn during 
the week of Teachers Institute, and later the exhibit was sent to the 
State Industrial Exhibition at Bismarck, to compete with exhibits from 
other counties. 

The Wellsley Hills, Mass., Village Improvement Society offered 
prizes for best results in gardening, and included in the list a silver cup 
for the best garden of all, this cup to be held for one year, and any 
person retaining it for three years in succession to retain it as their 
personal property. 


















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The Aguson Booth at the Second Phillippine Exposition, Manila, P. I., February, 1914. 
This exhibit came from the scattered settlements of the Island of Mindanao. 

It shows what is being done in a section where farming and gardening was 
almost unknown before the public schools were established. 


What Kind of Prizes to Award 

There seems to be a variety of opinions on the subject of prizes to 
gardeners. Some feel that there should be a higher aim than to try to 
win a money or merchandise prize, while others feel that if the children 
have something concrete to work for they will be more interested than 
if merely for the honor. From our observation and experience we believe 
that attractive prizes should be awarded to the younger grades. They 
need not necessarily be very expensive, but by all means give them some¬ 
thing tangible as rewards for their efforts. 

Make your list of awards as large as possible, and always have 
competition restricted to children in the same grades as far as possible. 
Never permit the older pupils to compete against the little tots. 

There are always public spirited men in every community who will 
be glad to subscribe money for cash prizes. Many of your business men 
will be glad of the opportunity to offer special prizes from their stock, 
for the advertising it will give them. 

Winter Blooming Bulbs, which are delivered about the 1st of October 
are among the most satisfactory prizes that can be given, being right 
along the same line of education. One Woman’s Club gave a large white 
Hyacinth bulb to each contestant who failed to receive a prize. This 
was a splendid idea as it prevented much disappointment. 

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15 



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In another town each child not winning prizes was given an auto¬ 
mobile ride as its reward, which to many children is a rare treat. In 
another town tickets to an appropriate picture show were given to all 
children not receiving other prizes. 

We could fill pages of descriptions of work of this kind that come 
to us, but these should suffice to awaken interest in communities that have 
not yet “seen the light.” 

The most important factor will be a live energetic committee to take 
the lead in soliciting prizes, arranging the programs, etc. Women’s Clubs 
and Civic Leagues usually have a hand in introducing work of this kind. 
In many cities and villages the Annual Flower Show is one of the most 
important events of the entire year. 


Suggestions for Flower and Vegetable Exhibitions 

The following are simply suggestions to aid in preparing premium 
lists for exhibitions. Usually business houses if asked will offer special 
prizes selected from their line of goods for the advertising it will give 
them. In this way premium lists can be made more interesting. Our 
six prize gold watches and other prizes (see order blanks) will also help 
to increase the interest. 

Best display of vegetables, Wards or Schools to compete. 

Best display cut flowers, Schools or Wards compete. 

Best home vegetable garden, 1st to 4th Grades, also 5th to 8th. 

Best home flower garden, 1st to 4th Grades, also 5th to 8th. 

Best combined flower and vegetable garden. 

Best kept front yard, including lawn and flowers. 

Best back yard, including flowers, vegetables, and lawns. 

Best display climbing vines decorating home and yard. 

Best flower bed, grown entirely from seed, 1st to 4th, etc. 

Best porch decorations, with vines, porch boxes, etc. 

Best specimen vegetables, separate prizes for each kind. 

Best individual display vegetables, 1st to 4th, also 5th to 8th. 

Best display cut flowers, separate prize for each variety. 

Best individual display all varieties, 1st to 4th, etc. 

Most beautiful round bouquet, each grade separate prizes. 

Best Essay giving pupil’s experience in gardening. 

Best Essay, How I can best help improve our city. Separate prizes for 
different grades. All competitors to write at the same time without 
previous notice. 


Economic Prizes 

Largest quantity of Potatoes, (in pounds) grown on one square rod. 
Greatest value in Tomatoes sold from one square rod. 

Greatest value in Radishes sold from 50 square feet, single crop. 

Greatest value single crop Lettuce, sold from 50 square feet. 

Greatest value in vegetables, any kind, sold from one square rod, con¬ 
testants to choose their own variety to grow. 

Greatest value in flowers sold from one square rod, contestant to choose 
the variety or varieties. 

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Colored School, 51st St. School Garden, Los Angeles, Cal. 


Teaching the Children to Save Money 

One of the most, if not the most important part of the child’s educa¬ 
tion is almost entirely overlooked in the courses of study adopted in our 
common schools. I refer to the knowledge of how to save money. It is 
a comparatively easy matter to make money, but the great problem is to 
know how to save it. 

In a little city in northeastern Ohio this problem has been solved to 
such an extent that 65 per cent of the school children have savings ac¬ 
counts in the banks. It looked so important and practical to me that 
I believe it should have a place in this booklet. 

Briefly stated the plan is as follows. The Secy, of one of the banks, 
who saw the lack of education along this line, worked out a plan, pre¬ 
sented it to the Supt. of Schools, and to the Board of Education, who 
were so favorably impressed with the practicability of the plan that they 
adopted it. 

The bank supplies an individual pass book for each pupil, also blanks 
for each teacher, with space for an entry for each pupil. 

A certain half hour is set apart once each week, (in this case Wed¬ 
nesday afternoon,) at which time the pupils are instructed to bring their 
pennies, and turn them over to the teacher, who credits them in their 
book, also on her statement, which she turns over to the bank with the 
money. 

No pupil is permitted to draw out any money without the teacher’s 
signature on the check during the school term. The bank supplies special 
checks for school purposes, the object being to encourage deposits, and 
at the same time discourage the children from drawing out their savings. 

Any live, wide awake savings bank will be glad to cooperate with 
the schools in introducing this feature of education. 

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Seven Gold Watches Awarded in 1914. 


Our Annual Gold Watch Contest 

For seven years we have each season presented Gold Watches as 
prizes tG boys and girls under 14 years of age, who grew the largest 
specimens of vegetables and plants. The interest has increased from 
year to year, in many instances attracting the attention of entire cities 
and communities. We receive many photographs and newspaper clippings 
telling about the great interest manifested. 

The following are the winners for 1914, to each of whom we 
presented a beautiful Elgin Gold Watch, value about $18.00. 

Largest plant of Giant Castor Bean, Wm. Sampson, age 12, Kincaid, Kans. 

Number of seed in Mammoth Sunflower, Gertrude Frederick, 14, Fall Creek, Wis. 

Largest Mangul Wurzel Beet, Mamie Bloemker, 12, Huntington, Ind. 

Three largest Prizetaker Onions, Jas. H. Carrolan, 12, Shushane, N. Y. 

Largest Chinese Celestial Radish, John E. Barnes, age 10, Lemberton, N. Y. 

Mammoth Jumbo Pumpkin, Naomi Trick, age 7, Hughesville, Pa. 

Three largest Ponderosa Tomatoes, Edna May Kern, age 11, Slatington, Pa. 

We will continue the contest this season, omitting the Prizetaker 
Onion, as there were comparatively few reports on it last season. We 
will present 


Six Beautiful Gold Watches 

Elgin Movements and 20-Year Warranted Cases 

As First Prizes on Six Varieties of Vegetables and Plants 

as listed under “Exhibition Contest” heading on order blanks. This is 
a general offer open to all boys and girls under fourteen years old. 
Detailed instructions will be printed on each packet. All reports must 
be forwarded to us not later than October 15th, and list of prize winners 
will be mailed to all contestants. 

In order to make the contests more interesting we will this season 
present 


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EIGHTEEN PRIZES IN WINTER BLOOMING BULBS 

Six second prizes of $3.00 each, Six third prizes of $2.00 each, and Six 
fourth prizes of $1.00 each. Bulbs to be delivered last of October. 

Pupils may compete for as many different prizes as desired, but no 
one will be awarded more than one Gold Watch. 

TWO NEW STANDARD UNABRIDGED DICTIONARIES 

To the school or grade, growing the ten largest plants of Giant 
Castor Bean, and to the school or grade producing the ten largest heads 
of Mammoth Russian Sunflower, (no pupil or family to make more than 
one entry,) we will present each a copy of the New Standard Unabridged 
Dictionary, price $12.00. 

And as second and third prizes we will present Winter Blooming 
Bulbs to the value of $5.00 and $3.00, respectively. 

The sole purpose of these prize offers is to create a greater interest 
in gardening. Teachers, Women’s Clubs, Civic Leagues, etc. should offer 
additional prizes in order to make the local contests more interesting. 
Many business houses and public spirited men will be glad for the oppor¬ 
tunity to offer additional prizes. Ask your County Fair officials to pro¬ 
vide a special class for school children. 


Hughesville, Pa., Dec. 5. 

The Childrens’ Flower Mission 
Cleveland, Ohio. 

I received the gold watch all right, 
and I am well pleased with it. The 
largest pumpkin rotted, so I took the 
next two largest ones and had my 
picture taken. 

Naomia Trick, age 7. 


Fall Creek, Wis., Dec. 25. 
The Childrens’ Flower Mission 

I want to thank you ever and ever 
so much for the watch for it certainly is 
beautiful. I am more than pleased with 
it. It certainly is a fine Christmas 
present. 

Gertrude Frederick. 


Shushan, N. Y., Dec. 26. 
The Childrens’ Flower Mission 

My watch is just fine and I carry it 
every day. I thank you very much for 
awarding me the prize. 

James H. Carrolin. 


Fredonia, N. Y. 

Dear Sirs: 

I received my watch safely and was so 
pleased with it. It certainly is a dandy. 

John Edgar Barnes. 

We would like to print the pictures 
space will not permit. 

. .mu,....mu .iiiiiii........ 



Miss Naomia Trick 

Slatington, Pa., Dec. 28. 

Dear Sirs: 

I received my watch on Friday and 
am very much pleased with it. It is 
fine and I thank you very much for it. 

Edna May Kern. 


Kincaid, Kans., Dec. 7. 
Dear Friends: 

I received my watch and it is a fine 
prize. I think lots of it because I earned 
it in my first attempt in so large a 
contest. 

William Sampson. 

of all of the seven prize winners but our 

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IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIM SCHOOL GARDENS IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIM 



Our Booth at the N. E. A. Convention, St. Paul, Minn., July 4th to 11th, 1914. 
We will have an interesting display at booth No. 202 at the meeting of 
“Department of Superintendence,” N. E. A. at Cincinnati, O., week of 
February 22nd, 1915. 


Donating Seeds to the Children 

Many Boards of Education, Women’s Clubs, and other organiza¬ 
tions donate the seeds to the children. From our observations and ex¬ 
perience we are more and more convinced that this is a great mistake. 

The children should always be required to pay a nominal price for 
the seeds, except in rare instances where they are too poor to buy them. 
Seeds that they have selected themselves, and purchased in this way will 
have a much greater value to them, and will therefore receive greater 
care and attention. 

Right here is an opportunity to teach a valuable lesson in economy, 
as the children learn to sacrifice, and save their pennies, to purchase 
something that will be of more value to them than candy or chewing gum. 

Mrs. J. B. Griffith, New Castle, Pa. writes us as follows. “This 
is the first time we have sold the seeds to the children, and we find the ♦ 
interest much greater than when we donated them.” 

It is perfectly proper, and advisable for Boards of Education to 
appropriate money to plow and fertilize the ground for the school garden, 
and to furnish the necessary tools, instructors, etc. Any further assist¬ 
ance will be much more effective if used in prizes to be awarded for 
efficiency in work and products. 

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20 










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Ordering Seeds in Quantity to Sell 

We frequently receive orders from Women’s Clubs, Civic Leagues, 
and other organizations, for seeds in quantity, to sell to the children. 

This is not a very satisfactory plan, as you have no means of antici¬ 
pating what the demand will be for the various kinds of seeds, and will 
invariably have a quantity left on your hands at the end of the season. 
This is unpleasant and discouraging. 

A Much More Satisfactory Plan 

A much better plan, that will be less trouble, and more satisfactory 
in every way, will be to secure the individual orders before ordering the 
seed. 

We have special literature, order blanks, etc. that have been carefully 
prepared to facilitate this work, eliminating confusion, and unnecessary 
trouble to those having the matter in charge. 

The Public Schools are the most satisfactory mediums through which 
to accomplish the work. Fill out the enclosed post card, giving number 
of teachers, and pupils in your city, or school. 

We will supply free of charge one 48 page booklet like this, for each 
room, and one illustrated order blank for each child. Request the chil¬ 
dren to take these order blanks home and have their parents help make 
their selections of seeds, returning the order blanks, with money, to the 
teachers. 

All orders for each room should be kept separate, and each school 
also separate. The seeds will be delivered to you prepaid, each individual 
order in a large sealed envelope, with order blank attached, and each room 
and school packed separately and labeled, so that there need be no delay 
or confusion in distributing them when received. 



Gardner St. School Garden, Los Angeles. (Courtesy of C. F. Palmer.) 


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21 






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School Garden, Union School, Tubao, Phillippines. 

This garden produces flowers and vegetables every month in the year. 

Our Four Page Order Blanks 

We have never been satisfied with the simple order blank as generally 
furnished by those supplying penny-packet seeds, as they contain no 
information for the child, other than the list of varieties to select from. 
We are now issuing a four page illustrated folder, which contains, in 
addition to a very complete list of varieties, some interesting information 
and suggestions to both children and parents, which will, we believe, be 
an added influence to encourage greater interest in the work. 

These order blanks will be supplied free of charge, one to every boy 
and girl in your schools who is interested. The only conditions being 
that each teacher shall explain the school-garden movement to her pupils, 
telling them what other schools are doing, and the benefits to be derived 
from an educational standpoint. Have each teacher report how many 
will be required for her room, and order all together making your requisi¬ 
tion on the enclosed post-card. 

Primary Order Blanks 

Some educators think it not advisable to permit the beginners, in 
lower grades, to have so extended a list of varieties to select from, as they 
are liable to choose varieties that are more difficult to grow, resulting in 
failure and disappointment. We believe this objection is well taken, and 
have therefore prepared a special Primary Illustrated Order-Blank, in 
which we list only varieties of the easiest culture, also a list of vegetables, 
arranged in collections in which the root, top, fruit, and seed, respectively 
are used for food; a classification that will be of interest to the children. 
It is of course optional with teachers,'which style of order blanks they 
use for their beginners. 


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22 




IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIM SCHOOL GARDENS IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIM 


Large Order Envelopes 

We frequently have requests for large envelopes, with the order 
blanks printed thereon, as some teachers think them more convenient in 
collecting orders, than the order blanks. We are prepared to supply both 
styles above described, printed on large 6 by 9 inch envelopes, with 
detailed cultural instructions printed on the reverse side. 

These envelopes will be supplied free of charge, delivery charges 
prepaid, to all schools requiring five hundred or more, with the under¬ 
standing that the return charges on them to us be prepaid. 

Compensation to Teachers 

We realize that it requires some time and labor on the part of 
teachers to collect their orders and distribute the seeds when received, 
and we want to be just as liberal as possible in compensating you for 
this work. 

Ten Per Cent Commission to Teachers 


In order to simplify matters so that there be no misunderstanding, 
we will allow a straight commission of ten percent in free seeds on all 
orders sent us by each teacher. 

Each individual order will be filled separately and enclosed in a large 
sealed envelope with cultural instructions printed on one side and the 
order blank printed attached to the other side. All orders from each 
room or grade will be in separate packages and properly labeled with name 
of teacher or grade, so that there need be no delay or annoyance in 
distributing the seeds when received. 

An Extra Five Per Cent Commission 


In order to facilitate the more rapid filling of orders, all teachers who 
will retain the individual order blanks and send us a combined order on 
one order sheet and parcel out the seeds, themselves, when received will be 
allowed an additional five per cent or fifteen per cent in free seeds. It 
will not require very much extra time for each teacher to parcel out the 
seeds for her room. We will include extra envelopes, to be used in 
assembling the individual orders. Please use teacher’s colored order 
blank in ordering free seed. 

Terms 


All orders must be accompanied by cash. Make all remittances by 
U. S. Postal Money Order, and select extra seeds to cover cost of same. 
Do not send bills or silver in an ordinary letter, unless you register it, 
as we will not be responsible if lost. 

(.PLEASE DO NOT SEND POSTAGE STAMPS.) 

We receive a great many more stamps than we can use, and we 
have all kinds of trouble to dispose of them, even at a discount. Please 
don’t send stamps for any amount over twenty-five cents, and send only 
in denominations of 1, 2 and 5 cents. 

All orders mailed to us require 1st class letter postage. Sould your 
order blanks weigh over 10 or 12 ounces send them by express at our 
expense. 


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23 


Illlllllllllilllllllllll SCHOOL GARDENS IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIH 



A Thousand Gardens. Thomas Jefferson Park, New York City. (Courtesy, Henry G. Parsons.) 


What the School Garden Will Mean to the Children 

of the World 

Extracts from an address delivered by 
Henry G. Parsons at the annual meeting 
of the Children’s School Farm League 
New York City 

The various Children’s Gardens that we have placed in operation, 
have been established to demonstrate their usefulness for all children, 
and we have summed up their general purpose in the words HEALTH, 
HAPPINESS, and EDUCATION. 

The increasing pleasure shown in the children’s faces tells its own 
story of Happiness. The exercise without strain, in the open air and 
sunshine, during the years when bones and muscles, heart and lungs are 
making most rapid growth, is the last and best word for present health, 
and future endurance. And then, woven through these hours of Happi¬ 
ness and healthy activity, is the wonderful Education of the Garden. 

For ages the garden has been the resort and inspiration of artists, 
poets, sages, and philosophers, and now we would turn your attention to 
it for the children of the land, as a place where they may learn the laws 
of success. 

Each child has a separate garden plot, on which he does all the work. 
A new interest and sense of responsibility comes with ownership. Often 
it is their first understanding of the rights of property owners, and this 
awakening is to have a tremendous influence. 

Worthy work well done is always dignified, and the worker dignifies 
it. The child must be shown how to do the work well, arouse his Hbor 
saving intelligence, and open his mind to the forces of the elements that 
are serving his intelligent activity, and he will never question the dignity 
of labor, that arouses intelligence, and that fills him with pride over the 
product. 

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24 


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Illlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllliy ^ SCHOOL GARDENS lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll 

To preserve the neatness of the garden the children are taught to 
gather stones and trash, load in wheelbarrows and wheel them away. In 
doing this, and in keeping in order the paths over which the loads must 
be wheeled, they learn in a simple, effective manner to think of one of 
the greatest pioblems in civilization, transportation. The way in which 
the question of good roads can be brought to children in the garden, will 
make them think more and more of the fact that “all production is trans¬ 
portation and that as all material production is the result of moving 
things, so all material wealth is the result of moving things economically, 
that they may be worth more after moving than they were before. 

We teach in the garden the personal belief in the dignity of labor, 
and the love of doing productive work; the virtues of thrift, honesty, 
courtesy, and obedience to law. To acquire these virtues and a knowl¬ 
edge^ of their real value, requires repeated demonstration during the 
child s formative years, demonstrations with the plainest of object lessons, 
and such object lessons come almost hourly in our garden work. 

Our belief in the future national welfare that will follow in the train 
of children’s gardens, is too great for your credence, but let me mention 
a few of the possibilities. Our simple yet clear method of teaching soil 
conservation, larger crop production, good roads, and elementary forestry, 
bring these national questions within the understanding of the ordinary 
intelligence. 

The widespread use of gardens in the education of children will be a 
tremendous force in hastening the people to a better use of the land. 
For all people must know something about the subject to intelligently elect 
representatives who are to act for them in public matters. 

The well being of a nation is not to be measured by total figures of 
wealth, but by the number of individuals who are doing well. The spread 
of children’s gardens is to be a tremendous force for the individual well 
being throughout the land. 

Clean-Up and Flower Show in San Angelo, Tex. 

Mrs. Geo. Allen writes, “We had a splendid Clean-up campaign that 
lasted six months, with the result of enjoying a clean, healthy city.” 
“Concho school had lovely flowers around their building, all grown from 
your seeds.” She encloses a clipping from their newspaper from which 
we quote— 

“One of the prettiest exhibits of flowers and vegetables ever seen 
in San Angelo—a display comparing favorably with any ever presented 
at a fair—was that of the Flower Show, held on the court house lawn 
today.” 


How a Sunday School Uses Our Seeds 

“The Arlington, R. I., Baptist Sunday School has used with much 
satisfaction, the seeds supplied by the Children’s Flower Mission for 
several years. Our method is to encourage the children to bring flowers 
to the church on Sunday for decorations, and at the close of the day they 
are sent to the sick of the community. The children are always nleased 
to receive the seeds, and are interested in the thought of having a garden 
of their own.” Chas. C. Roffee. 


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Irrigating a School Garden in Los Angeles, Cal. 

School Gardens in Los Angeles, Cal. 

Probably in no other city in America is the school garden movement 
better organized, and more successfully carried on, than in Los Angeles, 
California. We have before us the 1914 report of Clayton F. Palmer, 
Supervisor of the Agricultural Department, who has general supervision 
of all school garden work. We would like to reprint the entire report 
for the benefit of other cities, but as it is quite lengthy we must be 
content with a few of the most important features of their work as 
follows: 

The Agricultural Department of the Los Angeles City Schools was 
organized in the summer of 1912. Up to this time the schools had been 
doing more or less gardening, but it lacked organization, being dependent 
on volunteer teachers and intersted principals, but they did sufficient to 
prove the value of the work. At first the city was divided into four 
districts. These districts were assigned to special teachers who are acting 
to a considerable degree as district supervisors. 

By conferences with principals and teachers, and frequent visits to 
schools doing any gardening, the work was gradually organized. From 
the first the Board of Education has given the gardening movement 
excellent support. 

We have a printed form that is signed by those allowing us the use 
of ground for gardening, and which gives the Board the right to remove 
any improvements they place upon these lots. Having secured permits 
to use the lots, we requisition the Board to pipe water upon the lots, 
and usually to plow them. The fertilizer problem has been a vexatious 

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26 










IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII,I| I ,I, I1III | W SCHOOL GARDENS IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIM 


one. Sometimes we are able to secure sufficient fertilizer in the neighbor¬ 
hood. In other instances we are obliged to use street-sweepings. In some 
cases the pupils collect the sweepings from the streets for their plots. 

At the present time we are cultivating over seventy school gardens. 
So far as possible we endeavor to give pupils individual plots, teaching 
them at the same time how to co-operate with each other. We have 
had comparatively little trouble in finding teachers who are interested, and 
willing to make a reasonable sacrifice for the sake of the work. However, 
it soon became apparent that, if we were to succeed in conducting first- 
class school gardens, we must be given teachers who could spend more 
time upon the subject. Last February we were allowed three more 
special teachers, each of these looking after the work in two and three 
gardens, working over-time trying to cover too much responsibility. No 
more enthusiastic and devoted group of teachers can be found anywhere 
than those who are instructing our young people in this the oldest of 
vocations. 

It has been our idea from the very first to encourage home gardening 
at every opportunity, believing it to be a very large factor in the 
success of the school gardens. Over a year ago, with the help of the 
local press, and an outsider who was much interested, we organized what 
we called “City Garden Soldiers”, whose war-cry was “WE CONQUER 
THE EARTH.” The children selected a Captain, often a girl, from 
among their number, the class room being the unit of recruiting. Each 
paid 2 cents for a button, and about 8,000 enlisted, much good home 
gardening resulting. 

After the “City Garden Soldiers” movement was started we believed 
we should be able to offer some attractive, appropriate prizes, but the 
matter hung fire until last spring. After considerable agitation among 
business men and others interested in the “Beautify California for 1915” 
project, we succeeded in convincing the city committee that the school 
children would be their strongest ally in the movement, and they secured 
an appropriation of $35,000.00 to encourage home and school gardening, 
all for 1915. They also followed our suggestions in appointing Mr. C. L. 
Schufeldt to act as organizer and director of this work. 

The Home Gardening movement has received much help and encour¬ 
agement this year, because the Parent-Teacher Association has been 
induced to organize and assist the 1915 committee and the schools. Most 
of the schools of the city have entered the contest for the prizes offered 
by the committee, and in the school districts, the pupils have been organ¬ 
ized, and are actively at work on the home gardens, vacant lots, etc. 

At the present time there are about 24 of us spending all of our time 
in school gardening, and many other teachers who are receiving training 
for the future through part time gardening. 

Our present plan is to devote a wide border of; the garden to orna¬ 
mentals, including vines on the fences, large growing annuals, perennials, 
etc. Oftentimes we border the main walks with low growing orna¬ 
mentals or dwarf annuals. The vegetable plots are made a good size 
to accommodate several pupils each, and we are endeavoring to secure a 
co-operation whereby several rows of a kind may be planted together, thus 
avoiding a patchy effect. 

December 8th, 1914. Clayton F. Palmer, Supervisor. 

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27 


IIIIIIIIII1IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIH SCHOOL GARDENS IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIHIIIIM^ 


United States Commissioner of Education 
Favors Children’s Gardens 

Extracts from an address before the American Civic Association 
at Washington, D. C., by Dr. P. P. Claxton, December 4th, 1914 

Commissioner Claxton in addressing the luncheon guests said that it 
was desirable to employ the school pupils in some healthful, useful, pro¬ 
ductive occupation. 

“Home gardening done by the children under the direction of the 
schools seems to offer what is needed.” Dr. Claxton said, “In all the 
manufacturing villages, suburban towns and cities, and smaller towns, 
there is much valuable land in vacant lots, back yards and elsewhere 
which might be used for this purpose. In every school in a community 
of this kind there should be at least one teacher who knows gardening, 
both theoretically and practically. This teacher, who should be employed 
for extra time should teach the elementary sciences during school hours, 
and should out of school hours, direct the home gardening of the children 
between the ages of 6 and 15 years. 

“Vegetables grown should be used first as food for the children and 
their families, then the surplus should be marketed. Through the help 
of the teacher this can be done in a cooperative way. Ten or fifteen cents 
each day from the gardens of two hundred children would amount to 
$20.00 or $30.00. When the surplus is large and cannot be marketed to 
advantage, the teacher should direct the children in canning and preserv¬ 
ing for winter use. The canning and tomato clubs in the Southern States 
have already shown what can be done in this way. 

“It is difficult to estimate all the results of this plan, once it is in 
operation throughout the country. For the children it will mean health, 
strength, joy in work, habits of industry, an understanding of the value 
of money as measured by terms of labor, and such knowledge of the 
phenomena of nature as must be had for the understanding of most of 
their school lessons. They will also learn some of the fundamental prin¬ 
ciples of morality, that every man and woman must make his or her own 
living, must by some kind of labor of hand, head or heart, contribute to 
the common wealth as much as he or she takes from it, must pay in some 
kind of coin for what he or she gets. 

“The economic and sociological results are also worthy of con¬ 
sideration. Experiments already made show that with proper direction 
an average child of the age contemplated, can produce from an eighth of 
an acre of land from fifty to one hundred dollars worth of vegetables. 
A third of the children of the United States could easily produce $300,- 
000,000 in value.” 



Planting the School Garden at Weyburn, Saskatchewan. 


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28 







IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN SCHOOL GARDENS lllllll!lltl|]||||l!llllllllllllll!llllllllll!ll!^ 



Fairview School Gardens, 600 individual plots 10 by 15 feet, Yonkers, N. Y. 

School Gardens in Albany, N. Y. 

Mrs. J. T. D. Blackburn, chairman of the garden committee of the 
Wbmen’s Clubs of Albany, in an illustrated address at a meeting of the 
American Civic League, in Washington, D. C., told what was being done 
in Albany. The following are a few of the excellent things she said. 

School gardening in its early stages meant the decoration of school 
grounds and home yards, and a feeble attempt to grow a few vegetables. 

School gardening in cities where it has been developed, in Albany, 
for example, includes such possibilities as these. Raising vegetables 
enough to supply the family. Raising flowers that may be sold to aug¬ 
ment the family income. Developing in children a taste for farming 
processes that encourage them to take technical agricultural courses. 
Converting school hoodlums, and ne’er-do-wells to industrious and cap¬ 
able workers. 

All this is not pretty theory. These results have all been accom¬ 
plished in Albany, where the Women’s Clubs took over school-gardening, 
and fostered it until now the school officials recognize its value. 

In Albany we can cite concrete cases where the back-to-the-farm 
movement has been brought to the front and back yards of city dwellers. 
We can show examples of boys who have been saved from the schools 
for incorrigibles by these gardens. We can point to boys, even to one 
girl, who have taken agricultural courses because of the interest aroused 
by school gardens. A boy who was known as an incorrigible bully at 
our orphan asylum, now is the pride of that institution. A garden did 
that for him. With two other boys he took over a tract of land from 
which they cleared $150.00 in a year. 

Children of some of the extremely poor families were encouraged 
to grow flowers in unusual patches near their homes, which were sold 
at a good profit. 

Women’s Clubs can do much to arouse interest in the movement, 
but entire success does not crown a club’s efforts until the school officials 
realize the value of the work and take it under their supervision. 

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29 





Illlllllllll!lllllllillllllllllll!l!lllllllllll!ll^ SCHOOL GARDENS lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll>lllll>»l>l>llllllll 



A Fifty Acre Field of Asters, where Our Aster Seed is grown. 


The National Plant, Flower and Fruit Guild 

This is a National Association whose object is to carry brightness 
into the lives of the poor, and to bring them in touch with God’s world 
of nature. The work began by a systematic collection of flowers on a 
certain day each week, in a certain village. These flowers were arranged 
in nosegays, taken to a nearby city and distributed in the wards of a 
hospital. 

As the distributors carried their baskets through the streets from the 
station to the hospital, the children followed and begged for “just one 
flower, lady”. The street-sweepers, dray-men, and the conductors on 
street cars gazed with longing eyes at the flowers, and soon extra bunches 
were added for these street requests, and so the demand grew, and grew, 
until distributing points were necessary for the more systematic distribu¬ 
tion of the flowers. 

Other people heard of and saw the “Flower Ladies” and started the 

work in other villages for supplying other cities. So great was the 

appreciation and gratitude that individual effort was not equal to the 
demand for more flowers, more villages to provide them, and more points 
to distribute them to meet the ever growing demand. 

To this end the National Plant, Flower and Fruit Guild was or¬ 

ganized, with National headquarters at No. 70 Fifth Ave., N. Y. The 
various Express companies were asked to aid in the delivery of the 
flowers. They agreed to carry for a distance of 100 miles, 20 pounds of 
Fruit, Flowers, Jelly, etc., bearing the yellow label issued by the Guild and 
countersigned by the presidents of the companies. 

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30 









Illlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllilllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll SCHOOL GARDENS llllllllllllllllllillllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllHIH 


The National Guild prints and distributes the Free transportation 
labels, the reports of the country branches, and all literature regarding the 
work. The national office is supported by contributions from the 
branches, and other donations. 

The city branches are first and foremost distributing centers for the 
flowers and fruit sent by country branches. They also collect information 
from various institutions as to their use of the flowers, etc., and regulate 
the distribution accordingly. In short, the city branches are the middle¬ 
men of the Guild. In the winter months they collect flowers from 
weddings, teas, receptions and other social gatherings, and distribute 
them where they will do most good and give greatest pleasure. 

In New York they have undertaken successfully the placing of 
window boxes in tenement houses, and the developement of back yard 
and vacant lot gardens. 

On the country branches depends the success of the entire work, for 
without them there would be no summer flowers or fruit to distribute. 
These country branches are of all sorts and conditions, all sizes and kinds. 
One little girl wrote to the national office, “I think it is just lovely, and 
I’d like to be a branch, and I’ll send some flowers tomorrow.” 

The Guild suggests a more or less formal organization, with officers, 
etc., but any existing organization, such as a village Improvement Society, 
Grange, Sunday School, Christian Endeavor, or Women’s Club may add 
this work to whatever else they have in hand. To form a country branch 
send to the national office 70 Fifth Avenue, New York, and you will 
receive full information, including an introduction to the city branches 
where you can send flowers, fruit, etc. 

This is a noble work that should have more general support. As it 
is closely connected with gardening and floriculture, we are glad to give 
the organization this notice, and suggest that Women’s Clubs and other 
civic organizations that are interested in promoting school and home 
gardens, take advantage of this method of disposing of the large quantities 
of flowers that are grown during the summer months. 

A Successful Year in Waupun, Wis. 

We are glad to tell you of our successful year with flowers. 
Waupun is a small place of only about 3000 people, so you will know 
that when the children ordered two thousand packets it was quite an order 
for the size of the town. 

There were one hundred and thirty-four gardens for which we 
offered two prizes in each grade. On the 12th of September we gave a 
flower show. Three prizes for each grade were offered. Seventy-eight 
children made entries, and almost every one entered for all three prizes. 
We had a very large showing, and everybody was surprised with the 
display. 

We hope to double the number of prizes next year, and give prizes 
something like $5.00 to a boy or boys taking some ugly places in the city 
and beautifying them. Mrs. R. D. Tillottson. 


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31 


IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIU^ SCHOOL GARDENS llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll>IH»ll 



A School Garden in Cleveland, Watered by the Skinner System. 

Manufactured by the Skinner Irrigation Co., Troy, Ohio. 

How Back Yards Were Cleaned Up in 
Thief River Falls, Minn. 

“Two hundred children planted the seeds with good success. We 
asked that they would plant them in their back yards, knowing that they 
would clean up the yards before planting the seeds, just as they would 
comb their hair before putting on a new hat. Eight of these children 
exhibited flowers at the county fair, and all received prizes of 50 to 75 
cents each. Many parents and grandparents who could not even speak 
English, expressed their pleasure in the little gardens, and told how much 
had been done to make the yards clean and beautiful. We have adopted 
the Sweat Pea as our Club flower.” 

Mrs. J. M. Bishop. 

r*~ 

Will Always Use Flower Mission Seeds in Future 

The children’s gardens in Greensburg, Pa., were started by the Play¬ 
grounds and Civic Association, last May. I was employed to supervise 
the work. We offered a $2.50 Gold Piece for first prize in each garden, 
and ten new silver dollars for the next ten best plots, in each garden. 
One hundred and sixty children received garden plots. These children 
were divided into three groups, and placed in three gardens. The most 
telling result was the enthusiasm of the children which lasted throughout 
the season. Out of the 160 plots assigned, only 10 were forfeited. 

We had the most satisfactory results from your seeds. As last year 
was my first year in the work, I divided my seed order between several 
firms. I assure you as long as we achieve such results from your seeds 
you will receive our entire orders. Mary R. Keenan. 

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32 




Illlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll SCHOOL GARDENS lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll^ 



School Garden, Coamo, Porto Rico. 


The Effect on the Life of the Gardener and 

Non-Gardener 

Most educators agree that the farm is the best place to raise children, 
not only because of the pure air, but because they learn the great lessons 
of nature from the concrete rather than from the abstract. True, it is 
not possible to move all the children of the cities to the country, but it 
is possible in a large measure to bring country conditions to the city, by 
establishing gardens and introducing nature study as an important part of 
the daily lessons. 

Reports have come to us of many cases where children previously 
incorrigible, have become some of the most industrious, and brightest 
children in the school after the inauguration of the school garden. 

The normal boy and girl has an abundance of enthusiasm, and must 
have some kind of a safety-valve. Give them a garden plot, and teach 
them the many interesting and valuable lessons to be learned therein, 
and they will have less enthusiasm for things you do not wish them to do. 

What Can be'iProduced on a City Lot 

Many do not realize what can be produced on an ordinary city lot. 
We receive many letters telling what the children have succeeded in 
growing. The following from a little girl in Ludington, Mich., is an 
illustration of what can be done even under difficulties. She writes, “The 
lot contained one house, a barn, coal shed, an 8 by 8 cage containing an 
eagle, five apple trees, two cherry, one plum, one crabapple and one pear 
tree, two grape vines, besides seventy-five cords of wood.” In this 
garden she raised corn, beets, turnips, cucumbers, onions, squashes, 
dahlias and other flowers. Who will say in the face of such experience 
that children’s gardening is not worth while? 

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33 









Illllllllllllllllllllllll^ SCHOOL GARDENS IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIH 


Organize a National JUNIOR CLEAN-UP LEAGUE 



Figure 1 


Clean Up 
Your City 

The Children 
Will Help You 








OUR 

CITY 

Ti' - 'OF THE' ~ 'W 

NATIONAL 




ATIONAL X 

JUNIOR rX 
' 


up 


Figure 2 


It is being more and more generally recognized that the most success¬ 
ful method of creating interest in any worthy cause is to organize the 
children in the work. Their enthusiasm will soon interest their parents 
and friends. 

In order to create more general cooperation, resulting in more 
effective work in cleaning up and beautifying the cities and villages 
throughout America, we have developed plans for a national organization 
to be known as the NATIONAL JUNIOR CLEAN-UP LEAGUE. 

The national headquarters to supply general information, member¬ 
ship certificates, by-laws, membership cards, buttons, badges, etc. Each 
school, town, or community may organize branch leagues, and will be 
supplied with full information for organizing and planning clean-up 
campaigns. 

To each league will be furnished one large Certificate of Member¬ 
ship, suitable for framing, one copy of Constitution and By-Laws, together 
with general instructions, all free of charge. 

Membership cards for each boy and girl to sign will be supplied at 
cost, viz 20 cents per hundred cards postpaid. 

Buttons like either of the above will be supplied in any quantity at 
one cent each, delivered. If you wish the name of your city inserted 
in place of “OUR CITY” the cost will be consideribly higher, varying 
according to quantity ordered, and will require about ten days, as they 
must be made to order. 

We will also send a free copy of our little clean-up story, entitled 
“WHAT’S THE MATTER WITH BURTON”, which should be read 
to the children and will help to create enthusiasm. 

We have designated the last week in April, ending May 1st, as the 
week for a National CLEAN-UP Campaign. .Saturday May 1st to be 
the great day, or if only one day is devoted to the work let it be this date, 
as there being no school on Saturdays, the children can devote the entire 
day to the work. 

Success will depend largely on thorough organization. Divide the 
city or community into sections, appointing a captain over each section, 
who should map out the work, arrange with some drayman or liveryman 
who will generally be glad to help the good work along by furnishing 
a horse and wagon for the day. The children should gather the rubbish 
together, and help to load it onto the wagons. 

. ii 1 mill M mi min 

34 












Illlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll SCHOOL GARDENS IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII1IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIH 





Local Branch 


Date Organized 


U^ntor (£le ajl 


Certificate of Membership 


MTlONAI. Itr.AlMJtJAKTKRS 
J7I1 Chufth Ate. 
Cleveland 






7Jecr*t<iry. 




While the special campaign is only for a day, or week, the League 
should see that their town is kept clean throughout the year, plant flowers 
where they will be attractive, and climbing vines where they will cover 
old fences and unsightly places. 

There are vacant lots in every city and town that can be used, and 
much pleasure can be derived from growing vegetables for the table, and 
flowers to distribute among the sick and aged shut-ins. 

The following is a suggestion for membership pledge cards, which 
we will supply at 20 cents per hundred postpaid. On the reverse side are 
printed blanks for name, age, street, name of school, ward, etc. 


JUNIOR CIVIC IMPROVEMENT LEAGUE 
Membership Pledge Card. 

I want to help make our town a better place to live in, and to this 

end I promise to comply with the following rules to the best of my 

ability. 

1 I will help to clean up yards, streets and alleys. 

2 I will plant Flower seeds, bulbs, vines, shrubbery, etc. 

3 I will help to make garden, and keep lawn in good condition. 

4 I promise not to deface fences or buildings, neither will I scatter 
paper or rubbish in public places. 

5 I will not spit upon the floor of any building or on sidewalk. 

6 I will try to influence others to help keep our town clean. 

7 I will always protect birds and animals, and all property belonging 
to others. 

8 I promise to be a true loyal citizen. 

I may not be able to do all these things, but will do as much as I 
can to help our town and community. 


IIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIILIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIMIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIinillll 

35 














IIIIIIIIIIIIIH SCHOOL GARDENS llllllllillllllllllllllllllllllli^ 


What Other Cities Are Doing 

The following are a few clippings from newspapers, telling what is 
being done along the line of City Clean-up work. 

Campaign to brighten up Columbus, Ga., is arranged. Public meeting 
called to meet at Court House on March 31st. Federation of Women's 
Clubs endorse the plan. Mayor will issue proclamation. Joint meeting 
held and committees named. 

City of Binghamton, N. Y., to “Wash its face, and clean its teeth” 
during Clean-up Week. War on dirt to start May 4th, “Spotless Town” to 
be the slogan. Ministers commend movement in sermons. First day 
to be devoted to making front yards spic and span. 

Toledo, Ohio, to hold Clean-up pageant April 18th. Autos and 
floats to be in line as well as marchers. Procession to be photographed 
for moving pictures. Supt. of streets says, “Those who don’t obey will 
go to jail.” 

“Take Hold of the Wheel.” A public meeting has been called for 
Wednesday night at the Chamber of Commerce, Cincinnati, O. The 
meeting is expected to act as a cerebro-spinal innoculation, with a view 
of imparting to the nerve center of the community a new energy in civic 
spirit, pride and endeavor. 

Public opinion has been so stirred in Richmond, Va., that the city 
administration, immediately after the Clean-up campaign, adopted an 
ordinance which secures more complete regulations of streets, alleys and 
back yards, in relation to rubbish and garbage than any other city in the 
United States possesses. 

Patterson, N. J., put buttons on every man, woman and child to 
advertise its Clean-up and Paint-up campaign. 

Mayor and Civic Clubs of Cleveland, O., plan week of May 4th for 
City Clean-up. Slogan, “Get behind the Broom” “Join the Clean-up 
brigade.” The call to arms was sounded Monday by Mayor Baker and 
the fight is on against unclean back yards, and vacant lots, fly-breeding 
garbage cans, stagnant pools, dirty pavements, etc. 

“School Children will be enlisted in city Clean-up.” 100,000 pupils 
of the Cleveland Public and Parochial Schools will hear lectures on 
personal and municipal cleanliness, as a part of the two weeks Clean-up 
campaign/ Today is Health Day, and at the request of the campaign 
officials, special Clean-up programs were arranged in all schools. 

City Forester Boddy of Cleveland wants flowers grown in every 
yard. Wants all homes to cultivate flowers and shrubs, and declares 
if this were done, dirty streets would vanish. 

Little heaps of rubbish, 

Colors all worn faint; 

Makes our dear old city look 
Just like what it ain’t. 

Cleaned up streets, painted houses, 

Brings in lots more biz; 

And makes our dear old city look 
Just like what it is. 

J. Kramer. 

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36 


IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIW SCHOOL GARDENS IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIH 



To Commercial Clubs, Civic Leagues, 
Women’s Clubs, etc. 

Boards of Trade, Chambers of Commerce, Commercial Clubs, and 
other organizations interested in the civic welfare of their city, should 
find a very fruitful line of endeavor in the fostering of school, home, and 
community gardens. Just as we are preparing copy for this book, the 
Cleveland Commissioner of Labor informs us that there are thirty thou¬ 
sand men in Cleveland facing starvation from lack of employment. Had 
these same men and their families made use of available vacant lots 
adjacent to their homes, they could have produced sufficient foodstuff to 
go a long way toward tiding them over the winter when work is scarce. 
These organizations are always first in helping the needy, then why not be 
first in pointing out to your citizens the benefits to be derived from 
gardening? Then too, there is the beautiful side. Flowers growing in 
places where formerly there were weeds and rubbish, will make your city 
a more desirable place in which to live, and will help to interest capital 
which is looking for a place to locate its factories. Organize a Clean-up 
campaign, offer liberal prizes for the best kept lawns, most beautiful 
flower beds, best vegetable gardens, etc. in the various wards of your 
city. Arrange for a flower and vegetable exhibition to be held in 
September with a liberal list of prizes to the children. In Cleveland last 
season one bank gave one thousand dollars in prizes on gardens and 
exhibits of flowers and vegetables. Here is a pointer for your wide 
awake banks and other business houses. In many cities the leading news¬ 
papers take the initiative in organizing these Clean-up campaigns. The 
Plain Dealer is a notable example here in Cleveland. Elsewhere in this 
book will be found instructions on the various phases of this work. 


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IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIH SCHOOL GARDENS lllllllllllllll!i:;i!lllllllllllilllllllllllllllllll!lllillllllllll>IH> 


“Calliope Marsh” Catches a Vision from Nature 

Written expressly for “School Gardens’* by Miss Zona Gale, 

Author of “Friendship Village” Series 

“That Spring afternoon,” said Calliope Marsh, “I felt like I just 
couldn’t go to the quarterly meeting of the Friendship Village Married 
Ladies Cemetery Improvement Sodality. The world was too beautiful. 
So I headed for the top of Hornet Hill, where I-knew Spring would be. 

“As I come up the path toward the top of the hill, I heard voices. 
And I was sorry for that, because I didn’t feel like talking with people. 
I felt like just looking, and keeping still. So before I got to the top of 
the hill, I stopped. And I turned around to get the view from there, 
and I come face to face with the whole universe—or as much of it as most 
anybody can take in at any one time—hills and fields the color of a green 
marble I used to have, roads and sand-bars all rich browns, like carnelians 
and moss agates; and all the sky bright summer blue. 

“Just then something rustled back of me. And there was Binnie 
Mince, busy with a basket and a spoon, and not paying any attention to 
anybody. It was Saturday, so he wasn’t in school—or rather, he was in 
the Big Outdoors School that day, instead of in a building. 

“ ‘O Binnie,’ I says to him, You tell me: What’s the sky as blue as?” 

“ ‘As my crayon that’s most used off of,’ says he, instantly. 

“ ‘That’s it,’ says I, and I added—because I coudn’t help it: “Binnie, 
don’t God do his work good ?” 

“ ‘Course / says Binnie Mince, and went on digging with his spoon. 
And I see he was taking up violet and buttercup plants that hadn’t blos¬ 
somed yet, and putting them careful in his basket. 

“ ‘What you going to do with them ?’ I ask’ him. 

“ ‘Make me my garden,’ he says, digging away. 

“Do you get any idea of how nice it was out there in the bright 
weather, with that little boy digging away on his violet plants ? It was the 
kind of a day like when you were twelve years old, and got your hat and 
rushed out right after early breakfast, to shake hands with the Whole 
Forenoon. I like to think about it. 

“ ‘Oh,’ I says, everything is so beautiful—so beautiful. 

In just that minute I looked down and saw Friendship Village, where 
we lived, sitting down there at the foot of Hornet Hill like somebody 
come to stay. There it was—little ^fat brown buildings like toads, and 
streets that looked like something rough-dried at the laundry and not 
washed out very good; dirt piles where there’d ought to have been a park 
and dump holes where there’d ought to have been a play-ground, and 
nothing at all round the Court House yard where there’d ought to have 
been trees. 

“ ‘Why, Binnie, I says, ‘what a homely town we live in!’ 

“He went on digging. ‘Course,’ he says again. ‘It’s nothing but a 
little country town—my mama says so.’ 

“Nothing but a little country town! I kind of thought the words 
through twice, like you do, sometimes. Why, when we say ‘country ’ we 
mean something beautiful. But when we say ‘country tozvn’ zve always 
mean something ugly. 

“I turned round to say this to him, and then I saw something else. 
The voices that I’d heard and kept hearing had been coming nearer. And 

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38 



IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIM SCHOOL GARDENS IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIM^ 


all up the green slope now I saw children, pretty near twenty of them, 
scattered around, all of ’em with baskets and all of them digging violet 
plants and buttercups. Friendship Village children, that had all come 
out in the Spring to dig violets and buttercups! 

“Any other time Fd have told them to pick the flowers if they wanted 
to, but to leave the plants there, that belonged to us all. But someway 
all I could think of now was that homely little country town of ours, 
down there in the midst of Spring. I wondered how much they noticed 
it. And all of a sudden, standing down the hill, I called up to them on 
the slope: 

“ ‘Children!’ I says, ‘Look! What’s the prettiest thing you can see 
from this hill?’ 

“They answered me, first one and then another: ‘The river!’ ‘Thomp¬ 
son’s orchard!’ ‘The sky!’ ‘The flowers!’ There was the village, right 
before them, where most of them had lived all their lives, but not one of 
them even thought of counting that in. So pretty soon I says: 

“ ‘What about the village ? Isn’t that pretty ?’ 

“There was a little Swiss girl with them, who had come over a few 
years before and lived with her family on the edge of the town. And 
she burst out laughing. 

“ ‘O!’ she says—stepping careful in among her words, and pro¬ 
nouncing ’em some like strangers, but in a way that was awful sweet¬ 
sounding too—‘O! In my town they had a castle and a bridge and a big 
gate and a nice tower. That was pretty. But this village-—it was so funny!” 

“It was true. The village was funny and ugly and mean. And it 
was’t all clean. And out here were twenty of its future citizens who 
had known enough to come away from it, out into the Spring, to find 
plants for their gardens. I looked at them, and I begun wondering how 
long it’d be before they got just like the rest of us, that never even think 
much about how ugly the village is. 

“ ‘They know pretty things now, anyhow,’ I thought. ‘I’ll see if they 
don’t.’ So I calls up to them:’ 

“ ‘Look here, all of you! What’s the prettiest things in the world. 
Tell me some!’ 

“What do you guess they said? Not stars or mountains or rivers 
or oceans or moonlight or the forest or the sunset. And not one of the 
things that it takes much money to buy. But two or three of them said it 
first—and then more of them—and finally they shouted it all together: 

“ ‘Why—flowers!’ 

“ Flowers! The minute they said it, I knew I thought so too. The 
blue violets on the bank, the cowslips on the edge of the water, the apple 
blossoms budding in the orchard across the road, my bulbs by the kitchen 
door—what was there lovelier in the whole world, anyway? And the 
children knew! And they’d come out to Hornet Hill to find them. 

“So they are,’ ‘I says, kind of reverent.’ So they are. What you 
going to do with these you’re digging? I ask’ them. 

“And they all said, as Binnie had said: ‘Make us a little garden, in 
our back yard.’ And some of ’em told me about the patch of ground 
under a window, or on the edge of the potatoes, that their folks had gFe 
them for their own. ‘I got mine by the alley fence,’ says the little 
Swiss girl. 

. ..... • H111 ii 1111 ii n 111 m i n 111 IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ....IIIIHI" 

39 


IIIIIIIIIIIIIHIII1 SCHOOL GARDENS IlillllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllillllllllllllllllllllllllllHIIIIH 


“I didn’t say much more to ’em. But in a minute I turned and ran 
down the path from the hill, toward the village. And the thoughts that 
come swarming in my head said things first to me, and then to the whole 
village—if I could have made it hear—and I donno but to the whole 
world. And as I went, I saw in the back of my head a village such as I 
had never guessed or dreamed—a village that would let Spring come into 
it and not keep it outside on Hornet Hill. And it was the children, up 
there on the Hill, digging, that had made me see what might be, so be 
we had the sense to let it come true. But that seems the one particular 
kind of sense not many of us have—yet. 

“And now I had a place to go—and a thing to say. I couldn’t 
hardly wait till I got there. And I was headed straight for Mis’ Post¬ 
master Sykes’s, where the Friendship Village Married Ladies’ Cemetery 
Improvement Sodality’s quarterly meeting was being held. And I got 
there just as they were about to vote to buy a new iron fence to put 
around the cemetery. 

“I went right in among them, where they sat with their sewing, 
and I says: 

“‘Ladies! Listen! Up on the top of Hornet Hill I’ve just found 
Binnie Mince, and twenty more of the children, digging up violets and 
buttercups so’s they can have a garden.’ 

“They looked at me, kind of blank. I suppose they were perfectly 
used to seeing most of their children cart in things from the woods to 
plant. And plenty of these women had thrown the things out, too, rather 
than be bothered with them—I knew that. 

“ ‘And oh, ladies,’ I says, ‘Hornet Hill is so beautiful—just because 
the Lord took the pains to set out violets and buttercups there, and edge 
it off with some locusts, and run a border of willows round the brook!’ 

“Yes, they all knew that. Everyone of us went up there to walk 
Sunday afternoon, because it was the only pretty place we had around. 

“ ‘My friends,’ I says, ‘the only pretty place we’ve got is a place the 
Lord planted for us. O, shouldn’t you think we could get to work and 
make our yards and our towns look as nice as the Lord has made Hornet 
Hill look?” 

“They all kind of rustled, questioning. 

“ ‘Oh, well, our own little yards, maybe,’ Mis’ Postmaster Sykes 
says. ‘But we can’t do much to the town, Calliope. We ain’t the means.’ 

“ ‘Means!’ I says, It don’t take means. It just takes a little pitching 
in to work. O, ‘I says,’ while I come along the street just now, I’ve 
been seeing it all different. Suppose we got everybody to take down their 
fences, and put in hedges, and set out shrubbery and hollyhocks close to 
the houses, and have bulbs and salvia and phlox and asters—O, don’t you 
see? Have gardens instead of yards! And suppose we put vines over 
our porches and our chicken sheds and our red barns. And suppose 
we got everybody—down-town and all—to put out window boxes. Can’t 
you see what our town would look like then?’ 

“I think they could see. I know they could see—because they all 
kind of stopped sewing and sat still. But i wasn’t through yet: 

“ ‘O.’ I says, ‘that isn’t all. Suppose we filled in the dump holes 
and planted them with willows—just willows. Suppose we leveled the 
dirt piles and let the children play there. Suppose we cleared out the 

. n • 111111 ii 111111111111111111 n 111111 it 11111M it 

40 


11111*11^ SCHOOL GARDENS lllllllllllllllilllllilltlllllll^ 


alleys and all got garbage pails, and had garbage collection regular—it 
don’t cost as much as you think if you’d take the trouble to find out. 
Don t you see how it all hangs together? Flies and garbage and children 
playing wild in the street—we could touch them all, same time. Suppose 
we planted trees in Court House Park.’ 

“Mis’ Postmaster Sykes had stood about as much as she could stand. 
That woman does hate anybody to even hint that everything isn’t just 
elegant the way it is. 

“‘Who’s going to do all this planting, Pd like to know?’ she asks, 

crisp. 

“I started to answer, when just that minute, I saw the answer out in 
the street. Down the side-walk they were coming, from ‘Hornet Hill— 
Binnie Mince, and the whole twenty of the children, with their baskets 
of violets and buttercup plants, taking them home. 

“ ‘Look there,’ I says, ‘There’s some of who’ll do it. In one Arbor 
Day they could plant the Court House yard, so be we bought the trees 
and showed them how. And in one summer—in one summer, if only 
we’d make it easy for them to get the flower seeds, the yards of this whole 
town would blossom into gardens—and the children would do it.’ 

“Nobody said anything. We all sat looking after the children, going 
down the street. Only me—I never do know when to stop, and I had 
to give them a little final word. 

“ ‘An annual flower show,’ I says, ‘A children’s annual flower and 
vegetable show—held in the Fall—in the City Hall or the School House— 
with prizes give by the business men—and a bulb for every child whether 
he got a prize or not— can't you see it? Can’t you see them? Oh, my 
friends, do you think an iron fence for the Cemetery is so much more 
important ?’ 

“Some of them folded up their work, then, and one or two of them 
looked over to me and nodded a little. And I kind of thought maybe 
I’d planted a seed—I didn’t know if I had or if I hadn’t. But I didn’t 
wait to see it grow. I slipped out, and on the way home I stopped in at 
Binnie Mince’s, to watch him out in the back yard making his little 
garden—the way every single child in the w hole wide world loves to do. 

“Don’t it seem as if that must mean something? Something big?” 



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41 








Illlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll^ SCHOOL GARDENS llllllllllllllllllllllll^ 



Multigraphing and Printing Department. 


Guaranteeing Seeds to Grow 

There are so many conditions over which the seedsman has no 
control, that a universal rule has been adopted by the seed trade of 
America, not to guarantee seeds in any particular. This may be all right 
. in the general seed business, but we are not in the general seed business. 
There is a wide difference between the general public purchasing and 
planting seeds, and the little children taking their first lessons in garden¬ 
ing, purchasing their first seeds with pennies that have been saved by 
foregoing some other pleasures. We cannot bear the thought of having 
the children, who in good faith paid their pennies for the seeds, and as 
they believed, planted them carefully, but from lack of proper knowledge 
and care, be disappointed and discouraged through the failure of 
germination. 

Our Guarantee 

We do not believe it advisable for teachers to make a general public 
statement that we guarantee all seeds. The point we wish to make is that 
this guarantee is solely to prevent disappointment and discouragement on 
the part of the younger beginners. We will, however, leave it entirely 
to the judgment of the teachers, but would prefer that you leave the 
impression that you are replacing them personally. Where complaints 
are made, mark such varieties as failed to germinate in red ink, along 
with the new orders which are in black ink, and all such varieties will be 
replaced free of charge. 

Testing Seeds 

We test all seeds before packeting them, so that we are sure that a 
fair percentage in each packet will grow under favorable conditions. 
We have two systems of testing, using a modern up-to-date testing ap- 


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42 
























Illlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll SCHOOL -GARDENS lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllliy 


paratus, in which by a system of warm water circulation beneath we can 
regulate the temperature to any degree desired. Most varieties will 
germinate freely in what we call the blotter plan, by simply scattering a 
few seeds between a folded piece of blotting paper, and placing them in 
the warm tester. Other varieties refuse to respond to this treatment. 
These we test in soil the same as planting. 


Selling Seeds to the General Public 

We frequently receive letters from people not interested in Children’s 
Gardening, asking if they may order seeds for their own planting. In 
this connection we wish to say that we are not doing a general seed busi¬ 
ness. Our work is supplying Penny-packet Seeds for educational pur¬ 
poses. Seedsmen generally approve our work, believing that the educa¬ 
tion of the children in gardening will result in greater demand for their 
goods. We therefore ask that persons not directly interested in children’s 
gardening, order their seeds from one of the many trustworthy seedsmen. 

Seeds in Quantity for Free Distribution 

To Civic Leagues, Women’s Clubs, or other organizations wishing to 
purchase seeds in quantity for distribution, we will supply them in quan¬ 
tities of not less than one thousand packets, each variety packed separ¬ 
ately, at $9.00 per thousand. Three thousand or more at $8.75 per 
thousand, and five thousand or more at $8.50 per thousand, all delivery 
charges prepaid. These prices however will not prevail where we are 
required to fill the small individual orders, or where teachers select pre¬ 
mium seeds. For further information and terms, see pages 20 to 23. 



Weighing and Stamping Parcel Post Mail. 

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43 








lllllllllllllllllllllim SCHOOL GARDENS IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIUIIIIM 



Where Your Seed Orders will be Filled. 


Quality of Our Seeds 

The permanent success of any business depends almost wholly upon 
the quality of the goods produced or handled. In no other line of 
business does this rule apply with greater force than in the seed business. 
While with most goods your eyes can be your judge to a large extent, 
when buying seeds you must wait until the harvest to know the value 
of your purchase. 

The reasonable conclusion of the general public, is that seeds sold 
at the nominal price of one cent per packet must of necessity be of inferior 
quality. Elsewhere we give some of the reasons why it is possible to 
supply the very best seeds grown at these prices. We wish to emphasize 
the fact that no seedsman can be more careful than we in selecting only 
seeds of the highest quality. We believe it is of more importance that 
the child who spends its first pennies for seeds, with high expectations of 
success, should have the best seeds—better than the adult who is used to 
disappointments—. 

We always contract for our seeds a year in advance with growers 
of known reputation, many of whom have been personally known for 
more than twenty-five years. We spend much of our summer vacation 
visiting the growers and inspecting the growing crops. Last season we 
spent three months visiting the growers in Europe. We were dis¬ 
appointed in not being able to visit our growers in Germany, but hope to 
return again after the war is over. 

We contract for our anticipated requirements a year in advance, and 
our requirements are becoming so large that we are able to secure the 
lowest hundred pound, and ton rates. Last season it required ninety 
bushels of Nasturtium seed to fill our orders. The reason for this 
phenomenal demand is that they are absolutely the finest mixture of 
Nasturtium seed that can be procured anywhere. We do not hesitate 
to say that we believe them to be superior to mixed Nasturtium seed 

44 























IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIH SCHOOL GARDENS lltllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll^ 

sold by any seedsman in America, because we buy them very largely in 
separate named varieties and mix them ourselves. The same applies to 
Asters of which we sold a quarter million packets last season, and to 
China Pinks, Poppies, and other popular varieties. Our California 
Poppies this season will contain a large proportion of Carmina King, 
Burbanks New Crimson, Rose Cardinal, Golden West, etc. 

We exercise the same care in selecting our vegetable seeds. Our 
thirty-eight years of practical experience in testing and selling seeds has 
revealed to us where the best seeds are produced. 



Four Brown Bag-Filling Machines. Daily Capacity, 120,000 Packets. 

Our Facilities 

For ten years we have been supplying seeds for children’s gardens, 
each year resulting in a substantially increased demand over the previous 
season. I often think of an order I received the second year, from the 
schools in a small city in Northern Michigan, amounting to some $75.00, 
that taxed our facilities to the utmost to fill, as our seeds were then all 
packeted by hand. It is gratifying to note in this connection that we 
are still supplying these schools, never having missed a season. 

During the last three seasons the demand has grown with leaps and 
bounds, so that each year we were obliged to increase our facilities in 
order to take care of all orders promptly. At this writing we are re¬ 
arranging our entire plant, increasing our floor space to three times its 
former size. We have just unloaded a car of almost six million seed 
bags, and now have installed four Brown Bag-Filling machines with a 
combined daily capacity of 120,000 packets. In other words, we are in 
position to take prompt care of twice as many orders as we received last 
season. Whether your order amounts to fifty cents or five hundred 
dollars, it will receive the same prompt and careful attention that has 
resulted in the unprecedented popularity of our seeds. 

45 























IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIH SCHOOL GARDENS IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIM 

“Back to the Farm” 

Agricultural Experimental Work in the Public Schools 

There is much agitation among educators relative to the teaching of 
agriculture in the public schools. Many states are passing laws requiring 
such instruction, and educators are holding conferences to discuss 
methods of complying with these laws. “Back to the farm” is being 
voiced through the press and from the rostrum. Educators are begin¬ 
ning to realize that the most important industry in the world has been 
almost entirely overlooked and as a result, the farmer boys are leaving 
the farms and flocking to the cities, in a greater ratio than ever before. 

Every school garden should have an agricultural experimental de¬ 
partment, where the many kinds of leguminous, and other farm plants, 
that are attracting the attention of the most progressive farmers can be 
tested, to learn which are adapted to your locality, and to study their 
characteristics. 

But you ask “is it practical? It certainly is. It need not require 
very much space, in fact we would advise against too large a tract being 
used to start with. A strip 4 or 5 feet wide along one side of the school 
ground will be ample to test many varieties. It will only require a short 
row of each variety. Place the rows a foot or more apart according to 
the variety, across the bed, with a stake at the end of each row, giving 
name and number. 

Keep a note book with corresponding name or number, in which 
notes may be taken from time to time. If you are a lady teacher select 
a wide awake boy as your assistant, making him jointly responsible with 
you for the success of the work. Encourage the boys to bring samples 
of Oats, Barley, etc., to test together, and compare their relative qualities. 

You will be surprised at the interest you will create, not only among 
the children, but the parents as well. Let the children tell the parents 
that you have some new varieties of farm crops that they never saw 
before, and almost every farmer in your district will visit your school 
garden, and the word will go abroad that you are the most practical 
teacher in the county. 

We are this season listing a few varieties of farm seed, including 
some new things that are attracting attention, which we will supply at the 
popular penny price. Each packet containing sufficient seed for a test 
row in your school garden. Probably 75 per cent of the children in 
America, and grown folks as well, never saw cotton growing. Try a 
packet, starting the seed in pots in the school room the latter part of April, 
and transplant to a sunny place in the garden in June, and you can 
mature perfect balls of cotton before frost. 



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46 












IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII SCHOOL GARDENS lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll^ 


The School Garden Association of America 

Office: 501 Fifth Ave., New York, N. Y. 

Van Ervie Kilpatrick, Pres. - 4852 Broadway, N. Y. 

Edwin J. Brown, Secy. ----- Dayton, Ohio. 

The chief propaganda of the School Garden Association of America 
is to lead the people to realize that their children must be brought 
more directly and continuously in contact with mother earth, in order 
to be properly educated. 

Standing committees are continuously working on the following 
subjects: Children’s Garden Clubs, Local Garden Associations, City 
School Gardens, Rural School Gardens. 

The Association desires the co-operation of all people and organ¬ 
izations interested in school garden work, and wishes to have them 
affiliate with the Association. To this end we are printing the coupon 
below. Cut it out, sign and forward to address given and you will 
receive their literature, and full particulars for membership. 

SCHOOL GARDEN ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA 
501 Fifth Ave., New York, N. Y. 

Please mail us your literature, giving full information on the 
nature and scope of your work, with necessary requirements for 
membership, and oblige, 

Name. Date. 

Address. State. 


THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 

Doubleday, Page & Co., Garden City, N. Y. 

This splendid magazine has a Children’s Garden Department de¬ 
voted entirely to hints and practical suggestions for Teachers and 
Children in their garden work. It is the official organ of the New 
York School Garden Association and should be in the hands of every 
teacher interested in children’s gardening. 


American Civic Association 

Headquarters and General Offices 
914 Union Trust Building, Washington, D. C. 

“For A More Beautiful America.” 

The American Civic Association exists for the co-operation and 
direction of the forces which make for a clean and beautiful country. 
It regards the home as the unit of our national life, and the improve¬ 
ment of home grounds as the first step in civic betterment. 

What are you doing to improve and beautify your town? Are you 
planting trees and making parks which will be God-sends to your city 
later? Are you trying to make your property owners keep their 
yards, vacant lots, streets and alleys clean? 

Every city, village and hamlet should organize a Civic Improve¬ 
ment Association, and affiliate with the National Association, that 
stands ready to assist you. For full particulars address as above. 


47 









Illlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllilllllllllllllllllliy SCHOOL GARDENS IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIH 


Lecturers 

In order that Boards of Education, Women’s Clubs, Superinten¬ 
dents of Schools, and other organizations may know where and how to 
secure lecturers on school garden work, we are publishing the fol¬ 
lowing list. We have tabulated them by states, so that in most cases 
it will not be necessary to send out of your own state to secure a 
lecturer. Many of these lecturers will be prepared to give illustrated 
stereopticon lectures. 

Write direct to lecturers for terms and conditions. In many 
instances only transportation and entertainment will be required. 


List of Lecturers 


Alabama G. E. Smith, Martin School, Birmingham, Alabama. 

G. G. Weathersbee, Birmingham, Alabama. 

California O. J. Kern, University of California College of Agri¬ 
culture, Berkley, Cal. 

Canada S. B. McCready, Director, Elementary Agriculture, 

Ontario Agricultural College, Guelph, Ont. 
Connecticut M. Louise Greene, Ph. D. 14 University Place, New 

Haven. 

District of Columbia, D. J. Crosby, Department of Agriculture. 
Georgia E. S. Sell, State Normal School, Athens. 

Illinois Geo. A. Brennan, Director of School Gardens Assn., 

137 West 108th Place, Chicago. 

E. C. Bishop, Iowa State College, Ames, la. 

Emilie Yunker, Director of School Garden Assn., 1406 
Heyburn Ave., Louisville, Ky. 

O. A. Morton, Mass. Agricultural College, Amherst. 
Philip Emerson, Lynn, Mass. 

L. H. Harvey, Ph. D., Western State Normal School, 
Kalamazoo, Mich. 

E. L. Phinney, St. Paul, Minn. 

Ellen Eddy Shaw, Botanical Garden, Brooklyn. 

M. M. Bigelow, Columbia University, New York. 

Van E. Kilpatrick, Pres. School Garden Association of 
America, 4852 Broadway, N. Y. 

Louise Klein Miller, Curator School Gardens, Cleve¬ 
land, Ohio. 

Edwin J. Brown, Secy. School Garden Association of 
America, Dayton, Ohio. 

Alice V. Joyce, Secy. School Gardens, Portland. 
Pennsylvania Miss Caro Miller, Supervisor School Gardens, Phil¬ 
adelphia, Pa. 

J. L. Randall, Supt., Play Grounds, Pittsburgh, Pa.' 

H. D. Hemenway, Civic Improvement, Illustrated 
Lectures, Carlisle, Pa. 

Charles R. Weeks, Director, Rock Hill, S. C. 

F. V. Jenks, University of Vt., College of Agriculture, 
Burlington, Vt. 

Burton E. Nelson, Racine, Wis. 


Iowa 

Kentucky 

Mass. 

Michigan 

Minnesota 
New York 


Ohio 


Oregon 


S. Carolina 
Vermont 

Wisconsin 


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